Navigating Capri

I want to share with you some of my personal insights in case you’d like to visit Capri one day. We spent only three full days there, which may seem short but I thought was enough. It gets pretty crowded in the summer so it’s not as relaxing as I’d like it to be. But overall, I think the places we visited were unforgettable and most of the locals we met were very helpful and friendly.

So here we go — my advice on how to do Capri.

1 – Rent a Capri boat. We actually rented one through a company called Banana Sport Tours, which has boats that you can rent for two hours at a time. The dads in our group navigated the boat themselves without prior boat sailing experience. At first, we were a little wary given there were no experience required and tons of waiver forms to fill out. But we came out of the boat excursion completely satisfied. We were able to navigate around the whole island and stop off at certain places where the kids can snorkel or swim. I really don’t think you can fully enjoy Capri without a boat tour of the island.

2 – See the Blue Grotto. This is one of the recommended boat excursion stops. We actually have to anchor our boat and wait for smaller boats navigated by locals to take us in the grotto. The entrance to the cave is super low so you actually have to recline as low as possible in your boat to avoid getting hurt. For anyone who’s a little claustrophobic, be prepared. However, once inside the grotto, you’ll realize what the fuss is all about. The water is intensely blue and everything around you is pitch dark. Magical, magical.

3 – Be ready to sweat, climb and go down lots of steps, and walk. So pack lightly and don’t bother with heels. Cars are usually not allowed on the island so be prepared to take public transportation and do some walking.

4 – Spend time in Anacapri. It’s the island’s second biggest town and worth the visit. It’s a bit quieter than other parts of town. Must stops include the Chiesa San Michele for the well-preserved mosaic floors with the “Creation of Man” bible story illustrated laboriously across the entire church’s floor. Also, make sure to visit Villa San Michele to get excellent views from the top of the hill.

5 – Our favorite restaurant on the island was Panorama Capri, tucked nicely prior to reaching Capri Centro or Piazzetta. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable, allowing us to try local food, including breaded zucchini flower and the best pizza margherita ever. They have a local garden within the restaurant where you’ll see the chef and waiters take ingredients from.

6 – Get personalized sandals made. At first, I thought it was pretty indulgent but the prices were pretty reasonable. Besides, that’s all you’ll be wearing in Capri anyway. So, yes, the girls and I ended up getting our own personalized sandals made.

Hope you’ve enjoyed this post on Capri. Have a great weekend! I’ll be back next week with details on our stay at the Amalfi Coast.